Capítulo 586: Chapter 578: Lin Xiang: I Venture Out, There Will Be Gains
The Saint this year is at the age of fifty, a milestone birthday. Not only the Marquis Ancheng Mansion, but all officials and powerful people of the entire Da Feng have long been seeking rare and precious treasures to prepare for the birthday tribute to win the Saint’s favor.
Likewise, the Marquis Ancheng Mansion had started looking for prized extraordinary treasures since last year and finally obtained a Jiao Pearl by leveraging their power and influence.
To be honest, the size of the Jiao Pearl is like a child’s fist, lustrous and glowing. Other than its aesthetic appeal, even Marquis Ancheng himself didn’t know what practical use it could have.
But no matter what use it has, its mere origin from a river dragon of at least five hundred years makes it precious. Furthermore, it is an elixir pearl formed by the river dragon. Presenting it to the True Dragon Emperor with the story of the Jiao Pearl’s ascension and casting off of the physical body, to celebrate a birthday equal to the heavens, is simply perfect.
Marquis Ancheng intuitively felt that offering this birthday gift would bring more glory to his family; it was a matter of great pride.
Therefore, he kept the news about obtaining the Jiao Pearl tightly hidden and used another half-person-tall red coral as a cover for this year’s birthday tribute, aiming to surprise everyone on the day of celebration.
He managed to keep it well concealed, yet he couldn’t hide it from Dongyang Marquis, who guarded the East Sea. The other party wanted the Jiao Pearl and even offered a high price of one hundred thousand taels of silver. However, he thought to hold onto the rare item, refusing to sell even when the Think Tank came to negotiate without a break. He didn’t budge because he envisioned more — if Dongyang Marquis could stand with the Meng Family, the little prince would have a bigger bargaining chip in the future.
Unfortunately, Dongyang Marquis wasn’t foolish. Alright, he was just probing. Since the other party was unwilling, there was no deal to be had.
Marquis Ancheng didn’t expect that Prime Minister Lin Xiang had also caught wind of it and directly asked him to part with it.
Parting with it was out of the question; this related to his own family’s honor.
Nevertheless, he couldn’t prevent his curiosity about why Prime Minister Lin Xiang wanted the Jiao Pearl. Was it for a birthday tribute as well?
“Prime Minister Lin Xiang has vast Divine Skills, so I won’t ask how you came to know that I have a Jiao Pearl. I just want to inquire, what do you need the Jiao Pearl for?” asked Marquis Ancheng.
Prime Minister Lin Xiang replied with a faint smile, “To be used in medicine.”
Qin Liuxi is skilled in the Xuanmen Five Skills, particularly adept in medical skills, so using it in medicine is quite normal. Yes, just to be used in medicine, not for any strange forces and gods.
Marquis Ancheng was slightly taken aback, “Used in medicine?”
Prime Minister Lin Xiang nodded and took out a long box, saying, “Here is a thousand-year-old ginseng, I wish to exchange it with Marquis.”
Marquis Ancheng laughed, “A thousand-year-old ginseng is not easy to come by, yet it is not impossible to obtain. This Jiao Pearl, however, is extremely rare. At least I have not heard of any river dragon transformation in the deep sea. Are you undervaluing this pearl?”
“Of course not, a medicinal ingredient is naturally precious. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have had the audacity to visit and ask Marquis to part with it,” Prime Minister Lin Xiang maintained his gentlemanly demeanor, unaffected by his sarcasm.
Marquis Ancheng thought to himself, so you admit to your audacity and yet you dare to ask.
“I’ve spent quite a bit of effort and resources to find this birthday gift, hoping to bring a smile to the Saint. If Prime Minister Lin Xiang cuts in, I’ll have a hard time explaining to the Saint.”
Prime Minister Lin Xiang put the ginseng back and took out another box, saying, “Does Marquis still remember the forty-second year of the Sacred Harmony era, when Prince Jia went down to Jiangnan on the orders of the previous Emperor to investigate the disappearance of the Official Silver for disaster relief?”
Marquis Ancheng was startled, a sense of foreboding sprouting within him, as his intuition told him he didn’t want to hear more.
The saying goes, one does not visit the treasure hall without a reason. Prime Minister Lin Xiang has come seeking the Jiao Pearl, and since I’ve refused, he’s not angry but instead brought up Prince Jia.
Prince Jia, the man who was destined to ascend to the throne but was imprisoned in the Imperial Clan Court for getting involved in the harem’s Suppression Technique, and later, due to his rebellion, was sentenced to death for an unpardonable crime. He became an existence that one must not speak of.
Yet Prime Minister Lin Xiang brought him up; it couldn’t be anything good.
In the forty-second year of Shenghe, wasn’t it before Prince Jia got involved in the Suppression Technique?
“When Prince Jia went down to Jiangnan, I happened to be serving as the County Magistrate in Ancheng. That year was prone to floods, and a sudden torrential flow caused Prince Jia to fall into the waters, where he was later saved by a peasant family,”
Marquis Ancheng thoughtlessly prepared his tea. Needless to say, it must be that clichéd trilogy of events.
“The peasant’s family name was Mu, and they had a mute daughter who was a beauty of meek upbringing, very pretty. Prince Jia took pity on her and after a brief springtime affair, was found and rescued by his subordinates,”
See, it indeed is a clichéd story.
Wait, there’s an even more clichéd twist to follow.
As expected, Prime Minister Lin continued, “Such a mere mute girl, no matter how beautiful, is not worth the Prince’s lasting concern, especially given she’s just a peasant girl, and he quickly forgot about her.”
Marquis Ancheng couldn’t stand it anymore and said, “Prime Minister, there are no outsiders here, just say it straightforwardly. These tales are not fit for us men of over fifty to stay up late and listen to, right?”
Prime Minister Lin laughed, “The mute woman gave birth to a daughter, who was as beautiful as an angel, delicate like the down of a rabbit, and it is said that she has a light-colored plum blossom birthmark on her spine. When she is intimate with someone, the plum blossom appears to blossom, looking very beautiful.”
Clatter.
Marquis Ancheng knocked over the teacup on the tea tray, his face pale.
Years ago, someone had sent him a frail girl, a maiden of an ordinary family who was very delicate. Most importantly, when she was moved, a plum blossom would appear on her waist. He liked her very much. He found an ordinary peasant, registered her as Mu Xi, and took her as his concubine.
Lady Mu was delicate and beautiful but never caused trouble. She had been favored by him for many years and even bore him a son, who turned ten this year. The son didn’t resemble him but rather more like Mu Xi, and yet also like…
Marquis Ancheng’s whole body stiffened as he abruptly turned to look at Prime Minister Lin.
Prime Minister Lin lowered his gaze, his voice entering Marquis Ancheng’s ears like an ensnaring spell, “Prince Jia has been gone for many years, and the Saint has been in power for nearly thirty years, yet still, there are loyal servants who believe Prince Jia’s downfall was a trap set by the Saint and plan to find his descendants to set things right. By the way, Marquis Ancheng, you were once part of the Saint’s personal guard, you should know more than I, a civil official, right?”
Marquis Ancheng’s hand trembled as he reached for the teacup, his eyes sharply glaring at him.
He understood all too well the Saint’s apprehension towards Prince Jia. He even knew that in the past, to eliminate the scandalous affairs of Prince Jia outside, the Saint did not hesitate to wrongly kill.
But now, Prime Minister Lin was telling him that there was such an offspring hiding by his side, who had even birthed a son?
If the other remaining descendants of Prince Jia found out, then…
Even if he had no intention of rebelling, the Saint would accuse him of harboring the remnants of Prince Jia’s lineage, bringing doom upon his entire family.
What? He had a sister, a favored Imperial Concubine who even bore a prince, to rely on?
Pah, the harem is never short of beauties or princes, and the little prince is still of a tender age — his demise would be easily claimed, the Saint wouldn’t care more for him than for the throne he sits upon.
So if this matter were to leak, the consequences awaiting him are clear even without thinking!
Marquis Ancheng touched his chilling neck, looking towards Prime Minister Lin who was smiling insincerely, his teeth grinding.
No wonder people say Prime Minister Lin acts with certainty and never steps out without assurance. He dared to come knocking on my door because he held a trump card that could strike with precision!